How the Zoo helps
The Calgary Zoo helps the caribous because they research their niche and genetics. By researching their niche it helps them to know what the caribous do and where they live so that they can give them that habitat. By researching their genes it would help them to breed them better. This would also help them to not become inbred. They also help by doing field projects and educating the public. The zoo can get visitors to help by educating them. This can help the animals because people could make donations and get the visitors more involved. If the visitors are more involved and have more knowledge they may want to help even more.The zoo may decrease biodiversity because the animals may be to used to humans so they have adapted to them. The zoo can not release these animals into the wild because they would not survive. The animals would not know how to find their own food or stay away from predators because they have not been taught this. Usually an animal would learn this from a parent. Since the animals didn't learn from a parent the rely completely on their zoo keeper(s).
Caribou in the zooHumans Impact
Humans have impacted caribous because they are logging in the caribou's hbitat. By logging, they are cutting down they're taking away their habitat. They are removing large areas of trees so the caribous cant camoflauge very well either and they also have no home then.Humans also impact the caribous by mining and other industries like oil and gas. These also destroy their habitat. When humans remove the trees it attracts the wolves so then the caribous are hunted by them and their population decreases.
Species Definitions and the Caribou's risk level
Extirpated: A species has become extinct in at least one area but can be found in other area(s)
Endangered: A species whose numbers are so small it is at risk of becoming extinct or extirpated if extensive measures to protect it are not undertaken
Niche
The American Woodland caribou lives in small herds in North America. They usually reside in forests in British Columbia or Newfoundland. Their main job in the ecosystem is to keep the level of vegetation intact. Caribous are grazers so they eat grass,leaves, flowers and lichens. The caribous are hunted by wolves and caribou calves are often eaten by lynx. The American Woodland Caribou would probably have a broad niche because they can eat lots of vegetation and can live in diffferent elevations and places like forests or mountains.
The latitude is 55 North. I used the latitude of British Columbia becuase that is the home of many caribou.Adaptations!
A structural adaptation that the American Woodland Caribou has is their hooves. The hooves of the American Woodland Caribou are like scoops so they can dig for food underneath the snow. This helps them compete for resources because it enables them to find food faster and easier than other organisms. Another structural adaptation that they have is their thick fur. Their thick fur makes it easier for them to live in colder climates. This would help them against other organisms because they would be able to stay in the same overall habitat.
A behavioural adaptation that the American Woodland Caribou has is that they migrate. They migrate to lower elevations in the winter and higher elevations in the summer. They do this because the conditions aren't as harsh in a lower elevation so it is easier for them to survive.
A behavioural adaptation that the American Woodland Caribou has is that they migrate. They migrate to lower elevations in the winter and higher elevations in the summer. They do this because the conditions aren't as harsh in a lower elevation so it is easier for them to survive.
Physical Differences Between the American Woodland Caribou's
Physical Differences
- Some of the caribous had smaller antlers than others. Some of the antlers were also broken and others weren’t. I think that this is a continuous trait because there are many possibilities that the antlers could be arranged.
- The coloring of the caribous was a variation I say. Some of them were darker and others were lighter. This is a discrete characteristic because their shade only varies so much and they wouldn’t be a different color.
- One of the caribous was taller than the other three. This could have anything to do with age or gender. This is a continuous characteristic because the height of the caribous can range greatly.
- I noticed that two of the caribous had shorter legs than the others. I think that this is a continuous trait because the caribous can have many different length of legs and that they caribou's legs could still grow.
- One physical difference I noticed in the caribous is the shape of their ears. One of the caribous had very round ears and a different one had pointed ears. I think that this would be a discrete characteristic because I don't think that their ear shapes would change that much.
- Another difference between the caribous is that one of the smaller caribous had a smaller tail than the rest of them. This could be a continuous characteristic because the length of their tail could be different for every caribou.
- The shape of the caribous face was different between all of the caribous. some of them had more rounder faces and others were larger. This is a continuous characteristic because the size of their face can vary.
- The nose size of the caribous was a difference that I observed. One of them had a really large nose where as the other caribous didn't have noses nearly as large. the caribou with the larger nose probably had an advantage over the others as he would be able to smell food better. This would be a continuous characteristic because the nose sizes would depend on the caribou and would be probably different for each one.
- There was one caribou who didn't have as long of fur as the other ones. That caribou could have been a younger caribou. This would be continuous trait because the caribous could have many different lengths of fur.
- The hoof size was another difference between the caribous. I noticed that some of them had quite large hooves and then another one had hooves that weren't as large. This would be a continuous trait because the hooves could be any different size.
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